Interfere and I will use my nukes, Putin tells the West
VLADIMIR Putin dramatically threatened the West with his nuclear arsenal last night.
The Russian president promised to use the weapons in a ‘lightning strike’ against anyone who ‘interfered’ with his plans in Ukraine.
His chilling rhetoric came after Nato pledged to send fighter jets and heavy weapons to the country, both for defence and to ‘weaken’ Russia.
Western officials said they wanted to hit Russia’s military capacity and its economy so it could no longer threaten its neighbours.
Taking this as an existential threat to his nation, Putin responded with nuclear blackmail.
Addressing legislators in St Petersburg, he said: ‘If someone intends to interfere in what is going on from the outside they must know that constitutes an unacceptable strategic threat to Russia. They must know our response to counter strikes will be lightning fast.
‘We have the weapons we need for this. No one else can brag about these weapons, and we won’t brag about them. But we will use them.
‘All the objectives of the special military operation in Ukraine and Donbas will definitely be carried out.
‘The West has pushed us into a corner and prepared an economic war. This war has failed. They also pushed Ukraine to have a direct confrontation with Russia. They present a threat to the whole world.’
Putin presented his justification for using nuclear weapons as an act of selfdefence. The weapons he suggested he would not brag about were unveiled amid great fanfare just a few days ago.
Putin personally oversaw initial tests of the Sarmat nuclear-capable missile, said to be the most powerful projectile in the world. Sarmat has unofficially been christened ‘Satan 2’ given its potential threat to global security. Capable of carrying up to 15 warheads and decoys, it is one of the world’s largest and longest-range nuclear missiles. Russia claims the decoys make the missile unstoppable – able supposedly to break through all defence systems.
Putin’s nuclear threats were echoed by a Russian TV host considered one of his chief propagandists.
Vladimir Solovyov told his audience: ‘One Sarmat means minus one Great Britain.’
He added that the UK had become ‘boorish’ over its support for Ukraine.
Putin’s bellicose words followed UK armed forces minister James Heappey’s remarks on Tuesday that it was OK for Ukraine to use British weapons to strike Russia. This support for Ukraine’s expansion of its military campaign beyond its own borders has put London directly in Moscow’s sights.
Mr Heappey said it was ‘perfectly legitimate’ for Ukraine to attack targets inside Russia, a remark which the Kremlin condemned as a ‘provocation’.
Moscow responded that it would be prepared to strike ‘decision-making centres’ in Kyiv, with no regard for Western officials who might be there. This was taken as a reference to the return of the British embassy to the Ukrainian capital this week.
The US was quick to condemn Putin’s latest threats that extinguished the glimmer of hope given by a visit to Moscow by United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres.
Welcoming him to the Kremlin on Tuesday, Putin said he hoped talks with Ukraine would yield a ‘positive result’ and insisted Russia was committed to following ‘a diplomatic track’.
Last night, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said: ‘Loose talk on nuclear weapons and nuclear escalation is the height of irresponsibility. We have seen in recent weeks a pattern of bellicose statements which are irresponsible, a provocation and a continuation of the Russian government’s clear attempts to distract from its failures in Ukraine.’
After two months of heavy fighting, Russia’s mission has been reduced to an attempt to occupy more territory within the breakaway eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, which Russia previously invaded in 2014.
The attack has cost the lives of an estimated 20,000 troops, left thousands of military vehicles and aircraft destroyed and seen the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet sunk by Ukrainian missiles.
Western officials said Russian troops were making ‘slow progress’ on the ground in Donetsk and Luhansk and that tactical failures and logistical issues were preventing further progress.
Britain has been at the forefront of the West’s support for Ukraine, delivering £2billion in military aid to date. The UK has also stepped up its provision of heavier weapons.
The Ministry of Defence has supplied over 5,000 anti-tank missiles and 1,360 ‘anti-structure’ munitions. It emerged last night that 4.5 tons of explosives and five anti-aircraft systems have also been sent.
In spite of this level of support, the UK strenuously denied Russian claims that it and Nato were conducting a proxy war.
‘One Sarmat means minus one Great Britain’